When you’re looking for a new dentist, you’re searching for more than someone to just clean your teeth. Your oral health is such an important part of your overall health as oral health is an integral part to have good overall health. So it is important for every patient to have a dental home with a good family dentist, which is always there providing the best dental care for you and your family.
Having a dental home with a caring family dentist allows you to feel comfortable when you’re having a regular visit, or for any additional treatments that you take. It gives you a safe and trusted place to turn for a procedure or dental emergency. This makes it so much important for you to find the best dental clinic for you and your family.
Dentist should be a Partner of general health care team
We now know from the latest research that your dental health has an impact on your overall health. Taking this into account, a dentist should be a part of your general health care team. Look for someone who can be a trusted advisor to turn to when health issues arise and a partner to make dental care decisions as a part of whole team. To do this, he should be a knowledgeable person, a team worker & a caring person.
Meet and Greet
A few questions you might ask yourself before deciding on getting a treatment at a clinic –
- Is the dentist caring?
- Does the dentist listen to your concerns with patience?
- Does he give correct treatment advice with details about number of appointments & treatment charges. Does he understand your issues and answers all your questions?
- Will the dentist explain ways to help you prevent your dental health problems? Is dental health instruction provided?
- Will your medical and dental history be recorded and placed in a permanent file or on software?
- To find the right dentist, don’t be shy about calling or visiting the dentists on your list before deciding. Schedule a consultation time with the dentist to meet with the dentist and staff before taking any treatment. You’ll also be able to see if the clinic is welcoming, comfortable and neat. This step, I say is the most important one, because don’t just select any dentist, but select someone who will be your caring family dentist taking care of your dental health for long term. So, don’t feel bad to visit 2 or 3 shortlisted places based on the tips given below. You may select one of them based on the visit experience. Once you have selected the dentist, if there are no emergency procedures involved, get some simple things done first like teeth cleaning, simple fillings etc. These few appointments also will give you an idea about how good is the dentist with his treatments. This exploration is an investment that you do for your own dental health.
Useful tips on how to select your family dentist who cares for you –
- Launch a search on google to check out the –
- Profile of the doctor,
- Clinic facilities on their website &
- Reviews of the patients.
- It will give you an idea about the dentist you would like to visit.
- A trusted friend or a relative says they like their dentist, check them out!
- Doctor-patient communication is very important.
- Research the Dentist’s Credentials
- Consider the Dentist’s Experience
If you find some impressive dentists or clinics in your search, shortlist few of them & fix-up an appointment with them for a general consultation. Meet them personally & get your problem diagnosed & treatment planned. If you get a good feeling about the dentist in this appointment, fix up an appointment for some simple procedures & when you feel convinced about the dentist, go ahead with the more complex treatment procedures.
Though, this takes little extra effort, it is worth an investment as it is a long term relation that you are looking for.
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